'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' (February 14, 1999)
"The book is full of wonderful, sly humor. . . . Throughout most of the book, the characters are impressively three-dimensional . . . However, a few times in the last four chapters, the storytelling begins to sputter . . . These are minor criticisms. On the whole, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' is as funny, moving and impressive as the story behind its writing."

'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' (September 5, 1999)
"In terms of plot, the books do nothing very new, but they do it brilliantly . . . Maybe Rowling will achieve what people who love the best children's books have long labored after: breaking the spell of adult condescension that brands as merely cute, insignificant, second-rate the heartiest and best of children's literature."

ARTICLES ABOUT J. K. ROWLING:

Children's Book Casts a Spell Over Adults(April 1, 1999)
Devoted fans of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" bought up copies of its sequel through on-line bookstores before it had been published in the United States, a development that alarmed Scholastic Press, the American publisher.

The Playing Fields of Hogwarts(October 10, 1999)
In an essay for the Book Review, Pico Iyer writes that "the classical boarding-school process favored by the English middle classes is esoteric -- in fact, mad -- to the point of resembling some Charms School for apprentice mages."

Is Harry Potter Evil?(October 22, 1999)
In an editorial, Judy Blume says that the real danger is not in books such as Harry Potter, but in laughing off those who would ban them.

Besotted With Potter(January 27, 2000)
In an op-ed, William Safire writes, "Getting children to read is no small blessing, and Rowling has provided them with a key to literacy. These are not, however, books for adults."

Booksellers Grab a
Young Wizard's Cloaktails(February 28, 2000)
Such is the literary halo effect of J. K. Rowling's best-selling fantasy series that it has turned knobby-kneed Harry Potter into the Medici patron of children's literature, giving a big sales boost to authors like C. S. Lewis and Brian Jacques.

Publishers Use Secrecy in Harry Potter Promotion(May 22, 2000)
A substantial degree of effort is going into ensuring that as little as possible is known about the highly anticipated fourth volume in the Harry Potter series's contents in advance.

New Harry Potter Book Becoming a Publishing Phenomenon(July 3, 2000)
Since the first "Harry Potter" was published in 1998, the series has sold nearly 21 million copies and been translated into 35 languages. The fourth installation comes into the world with even more hoopla than its predecessors.

Moby Dick on a Broom(July 7, 2000)
In an op-ed piece, Gail Collins says that where the first three Harry Potter novels taught kids the joys of reading, the new one may teach them the important adult skill of carrying around large and trendy volumes of literature so you can say "I just started it" whenever the topic comes up in conversation.

Harry Potter Magic Halts Bedtime for Youngsters(July 9, 2000)
It was a night of bedtime amnesty across the country as children and parents made treks to bookstores opening around midnight to capitalize on the enormous pent-up demand for the new title with Harry Potter parties, gimmicks and stunts.

Vanishing Off the Shelves (July 10, 2000)
"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" set records in its first weekend of sales, leaving many bookstores around the country already out of stock. The book's first printing was the largest ever and has already proven insufficient.

All Aboard the Potter Express(July 10, 2000)
Aboard a 57-year-old steam engine named after the train in the Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling talked to a reporter about the success of the series. "I would do anything to prevent Harry from turning up in fast-food boxes everywhere," she told Alan Cowell.

Harry Potter, Minus a Certain Flavour(July 10, 2000)
In an editorial, Peter H. Gleick comments on the decision of Scholastic, the publisher of the American edition of the Harry Potter books, to translate the books from "English" into "American."

The Magical Voice of Harry Potter and Friends(July 13, 2000)
Jim Dale was perfectly cast to narrate the Harry Potter series's audiobooks, including the latest, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," for which Mr. Dale created 125 speaking voices.